Dress-form



(No Modelf) W. H. KNAPP.

DRESS FORM.

l il

N. Puras. mnanngnmr, wmangm. ne,

. 3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.) asneets-sheet 2..

W. H. KNAPP.

DRESS P oRM.

Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

No."373, 989f N. PETERS. Pbmna-lhugmpher. Wllhlnglon, D C.

`(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. H. KNAPP.

Y DRESS FORM. No. 373,989. Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATEiwr Ormea.

WILLIAM H. KNAPP, 'OF.BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DRESS-FORNI.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 373,989, dated November 29, 1887.

Application filed September 26, 1887. Serial No. 250,654. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. KNAPP, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and Slate of New York, have invented new Improvements in Garment-Stands; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference markedA thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute a part of this specitication, and represent, in

Figure 1, a side View of the stand complete in an expanded condition; Fig. 2, a vertical central sectionof the same; Fig. 3, one of the ribs detached; Fig. 4, two ribs enlarged,illustrating the method of connecting the upper ends of the adjacent legs of the two ribs and also the method of tying the legs together and connecting the braces thereto; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the tie-pieces detached; Fig. 6, the blank from which the clip is formed; Fig. 7, a horizontal section through the clip applied to the legs, and showing the loop;" Fig. 8, a vertical section through the clip, showing the loop; Fig. 9, a top view of the stand, showing the series of loops with the adj usting-strap therein.

This invention relates to animprovementin that class of garmentstandswhich are adapted to support skirts of ladies dresses, and particularly to that class in which the stand consists of several vertical ribs around a central column, and which are made ladjustable to different diameters by collars on the shaft, from which braces extend to the ribs, so that by vertical adjustment of the collars the braces will be thrown outward or drawn inward, according to the direction in .which the said collars are moved, the objectof the invention being to construct the expansble por` tion of the stand entirely from wire.

A represents the base upon which the stand is supported. This consists of a vertical tube with legs at its lower end, upon which it may. rest. Within this tube is a vertical shaft, B, supported by the tube A, but free for rotation. Near the tube A the shaft B is provided with an external screw-threaded section, C. Above the screw-threaded section C, which is firmly fixed to-or made a part'of the shaft B, and so as to rotate therewith, a similar sorew-threaded section, D, is arranged upon the rod; but this section D is tubular, and through it the central shaft, B, extends. The upper end of the screw-threaded tubular section D terminates in a suitable head, E, by which the section D may be rotated, aud the shaft B extends through the head E and terminates in a similar head, F, by which the shaft B may-be rotated, so that either the shaft yor the section D may be rotated, as occasionA may require.

On the section C is au internally-screwthreaded collar, G, and on the section D is a similar screw-threaded collar, H. At the upper end of the section D is a collar, I, loosely supported upon the section D, so that the section D may be rotated without revolving the collar I; but yet thecollar I is supported by a shoulder below, so as to preventits up-anddown movement. The collars H and G are respectively adjustable vertically by means of their respective screws. Around the shaft several vertical ribs are arranged, connected near their lower end by braces .I with the collar G, and near their upper end are hung by braces Kto the collar I, and are also connected by braces L to the collar H, the braces K and L being oppositely inclined from their point of connection with the ribs to the respective collars, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

If the shaft B be rotated in one direction, it will draw the collar G upward, or in the opposite direction will force the collar G downward, and such movement ofthe collar G correspondingly changes the inclination of the braces .I and throws out or draws inward the ribs at the lower end accordingly as the collar is raised or lowered. 'Ihe tubular screwthreaded section D being rotated, will cause the collar H to rise or fall, according to the direction in which it is turned, and the braces L, being connected to the said collar, will be correspondingly moved to change their in-,

clination with relation to the ribs, and consequently throw out or draw inward the ribs, according to the direction in which the collar H is moved, the ribs being hung bythe braces K to the stationary collar Iabove. Broadlyconsidered, this is a common construction and ari t, m. i i

rangement of parts for the adjustment of garment-stands.

The ribs are made from wire in substantially V shape, as represented in Fig. 3, the apex ofthe V being downward and forming the termination of the ribs at the bottom.

The legs M N of the ribs at the point where the lower braces, J, are to be connected have a short bend formed in each, as at a, Fig. 3, and at the point where the braces K L are to be attached near the upper end a like short bend, d d, is made in each leg. A series of such ribs are arranged around the standard. The upper end of one leg, M, of one rib is connected to the adjacent leg, N, by a clip, I. This holds the adjacent legs of the two ribs together, but permits the two legs of each rib to separate or be brought together as occasion may require' any expansion or contraction of the stand.

Across the two legs of one rib and in the bends a a wire tie-piece, e, is applied, the two ends ofthe tie-piece being bent around the two legs in the said bends,so as to firmly secure the tie-piece and at the same time tie the legs together at that point. This tie-piece midway between the two legs has a short bend, f.

The braces J are made from wire. The inner end is bent in the form of au eye through a corresponding hole in the collar G, and the outer end is bent around the bendf in the tiepiece, the said bend in the tie-piece centrally locating the outer end ofthe brace midway between the two legs M N. At the bends d, near the upper end, a similar tie-piece, g, is applied, connecting one leg, N, of one rib with the adjacent leg, M, of the next. rib. This tie-piece is made of wire bent around the respective legs in the bends d of the legs, so that while it ties the two legs together at that point it is, like the tie-piece c, prevented by the short bends from vertical movement. The tie-piece g has a short bend, h, midway between the two legs N M. The braces L are also made from wire, their inner ends bent through holes in the collar H, so as to form a hinge-eye for the brace like the inner end of the braces J, and the outer ends of the braces L are bent around the tie-piece g in the short bend h, so that the outer ends of the braces L are located midway between the adjacent legs of the two ribs. The braces K are also made from wire, their inner ends bent through the respective holes in the stationary collar I, and their outer ends bent around the tie-piece G in the bend h, so that these braces, like the braces L, are located between the adjacent legs of the two ribs.

The short bends in the tie-pieces form a pintle, upon which the outer ends ofthe braces may turn as a hinge, while the connection between the braces and the collar form hinges at their inner ends, and so that as the collars are adjusted the braces readily adapt themselves to the different inclinations to which they may be brought in the expansion or contraction of the stand.

The upper ends of the adjacent legs of the ribs, being connected by the clip I, permit the upper ends of the ribs to move outward under the action of the braces, so as to expand the extreme upper end of the stand.

It is desirable that the upper ends of the ribs may be contractible independent of the braces, because this corresponds to the waistband of the skirt, which is variable to a different extent from that ofthe ribs below. To accomplish this adjustment the clips are made to not only secure the ends of the legs together, but also to form a transverse rib through which a strap may be run.

In Fig. 6 I represent the blank from which the clip P is made. This clip is in the form of a cross, cut from suitable sheet metal-as brass or tin-the length transversely being greater than the distance required between the two legs to be connected, and so as to form a flap, fr', at each side, which may be bent around the respective legs, as seen in Fig. 7. The vertical extensions Z lof the clip are turned inward, the one up and the other down, as seen in Fig. 8, so as to form a transverse loop, m, in the connection between the legs of the respective ribs. The series of loops thus formed are represented in Fig. 9. Through these loops a strap, a, is run and made adjustable by a buckle, r, or otherwise, so that by drawing upon the strap the clips and the upper ends of the ribs which they connect will be drawn inward to contract the circumference ofthe stand at the waist; or, if the strap be loosed, the elasticity of the wires will cause the clips to spring outward. Thus the circumference of the waist may be adjusted to any desirable extentindependent of the adjustment of the ribs. By this construction the ribs, the adjusting-braces, and the connection between the braces and ribs are all made from wire; consequently cheap, no soldering is required, and consequently no liability to accidental detachment.

I clairnp l. In a garment-stand consisting of several vertical ribs surrounding a central shaft, two series of braces hung to collars on said shaft, the said collars made adjustable vertically on said shaft, each of said ribs made from wire, of V shape, the upper end of one leg of each rib connected to the adjacent leg of the next rib, the said legs constructed with short bends at the points where the braces are to be connected, combined with tie-pieces made from wire bent around the respective legs in said short bends, thereby connecting the said legs, the said tiepieces constructed with a short bend midway between the respective legs, the braces also made from wire, their outer ends bent around the saidtie-pieces in the short bends, and the inner ends of the braces hung to the collars on the shaft, and a series of braces hung by one end to a stationary point on the shaft, extending downward and outward, their outer ends hung to the said ribs, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

2. A garment-stand consisting of several ribs arranged around a central shaft, the said central shaft carrying vertically adjustable collars, the said ribs made -from wire, of ,V

5 shape, the upper end of one leg of each rib connected to the upper end of the adjacent leg of the next rib by a clip, P, the said clip P Ahaving its two sides closed aroundthe said upper ends of the legs, and the said clip also to constructed with aps at the top and bottom, the said aps turned toward each other to form loops m around the upper end of the stand,

and the adjusting strap n, combined with braces extending from the collars on the shaft and hung to the ribs, and with braces hung by 15 their inner end to'a stationary point on the shaft, extending downward and outward, hung by their outer end to the said ribs, substan tially as described.

WILLIAM H. KNAP.

Witnesses:

D. MOLEAN SHAW, FRED C. EARLE. 

